Manga/Comics/Bandes Dessinée

[Kathy Li]

So, I picked up the first four volumes of Ultra Maniac, and I'll probably get the fifth, since that's all there is. I've enjoyed it, but I agree that it's much fluffier than Marmalade Boy.

I also picked up The Dead Boy Detectives, Jill Thompson's follow up to her Death manga (at Death's Door), and I'm enjoying the heck out of that, too. I think Thompson's found a pretty good merging midpoint between anime and her own comics (like Scary Godmother) and the style is working really well. I'm not sure how an otaku manga-purist would feel about it, though, but since I've been reading Jill's comics work for over twenty years, it doesn't worry me at all.

I also managed to get volumes 7 and 8 of Samurai Executioner and same-old/same-old decapitations, sex, and violence galore done like mini Kurosawa movies (NOT for the faint of heart or those who avoid R-rated things). I definitely still prefer Lone Wolf & Cub, but since there's no more of that to be had, this will do as a stand in.

[Bookwyrm Poet]

Best Manga ever... FULL METAL ALCHEMIST AND Naruto. thats all i have to say

[AlidaART]

Recently I've become obsessed with Hot Gimmick, which is kind of completely wrong, because it is SO TWISTED.

*pant pant*

Seriously, to make such a screwy soap-opera storyline like this work, Aihara Miki is some amazing writer. The art can occasionally be a little bland, and sometimes the eyes are frighteningly huge, but on the whole great stuff. And dude, her hot guys are, well...HOT. Even the ones who are jerks. And of course, that's the weird bit--as a relatively nice human being, you should hate the character Ryoki (he's just that nasty), but no--Aihara makes you root for him in the long run. It's incredible; I have no idea how she does it. But she does.

I'm on Vol. 9 (out of twelve published in Japan, and ten thus far in the U.S.) I'm pretty sure that they come out monthly, though, so eleven should be out soon and then twelve...and then it's over.

Then again, it's kind of nice to have an addictive manga that actually has an ending (cough Ranma 1/2 cough).

By the way, kli, I've been eyeing At Death's Door for a while now, and it's good to know that it's worthwhile.

[Caution: Incredibly addictive. Also, no actual nudity/sexual content (yet), but there are some pretty heavy themes in that general department.]

What about manga made by CLAMP?? They are REALLY good. I just started Reservoir Chronicle Tsubasa, ***Holic is good too.

[Kathy Li]

AlidaART, just remember that I'm a big big Sandman fan from way-back, so my opinion might be skewed in favor. Although, come to think of it, the first time I ever realized I was looking at Jill Thompson art, was waaaay back when First comics was doing their Classics Illustrated series, and she did absolutely rocking watercolors for The Scarlet Letter.

I also, of course, recommend Jill Thompson's Scary Godmother comic. I was thrilled to bits when it got turned into animated Halloween specials.

[Space Cadet]

Dreamer Mage, I'm a CLAMP fan too. I went down to Tokyo, and while I was there visited a big anime/manga chain store and ended up hauling Tsubasa Vols 1-12 back home with me (manga is usually light, but not when you are carrying so much at once )

I don't really have anything new going on at the moment, just continuing to collect the same series every time a new volume comes out.
I recommend Dr. Gray-man to anyone who has gothic tendencies (sorry, I don't have a link).
All the characters look like they spend their Sundays in Harajuku.

[AlidaART]

kli--Well, I wouldn't blame you for being a Sandman fan, it was written by Neil Gaiman! How could one not love it? (though I have yet to read them, unfortunately, but I've read his novels, besides American Gods and Anasi (is that right?) Boys).

Classics Illustrated series? Oooh. Now that sounds like something I could get into.

[kaiba4ever]

*Ranting ahead...*

CLAMP is awesome. My favorite of their series are Tsubasa RC, ***Holic, CardCaptor Sakura, Chobits,and Gohou Drug (why'd they stop in the middle?!). Yeah, ther art is totally gorgeous. You're lucky Space Cadet, I really really envy you. I mean, manga in the US is so... over priced and BIG. I bought manga when I was visiting France over the summer, and it was seriously smaller there (and cheaper, so I bought stuff). But In Japan, it's like
"the place" of anime and manga, in Tokyo outside those anime-producing studios, it's like a place where gods have walked! (To me, my favorite mangakas are gods.) Anyway, I realy want to go there someday...

One of my favorite manga series is being liscenced. I have the scanlations for the entire thing, (basically that's like virtual free *illegal-but-not-really-illegal-unless-series-is-liscensed* manga) But I'm going to buy it anyway. The preview in this month's English Jump didn't do it justice. Black Cat. It's like my recent obsession! XD (Well, maybe that's because they recently made a Black Cat anime which I've been watching through fansubs, but the orginal manga was better in a different way). It's a shounen series (duh, if it's found in Shounen Jump), but it's got stuff that appeals to girls, too, like uber hot bishounen and a physcotic male stalker bent on gaining his old "partner" back and taking over the world! XP Alot of people claim this series is unorginal, because the "Sweepers" (bounty hunters) just like in other series, like Cowboy Bebop, but I think it's unique and nothing like those other series. The series starts out mediocre in volume one, but changes drastically becomes in my opinion really really good (especially for a shounen series) later on. Ooh, I should stop ranting...

AlidaARt said: Recently I've become obsessed with Hot Gimmick, which is kind of completely wrong, because it is SO TWISTED.

Then again, it's kind of nice to have an addictive manga that actually has an ending (cough Ranma 1/2 cough).

I couldn't get into Hot Gimmick, but I only read like the first few chapters, so judging it like that is kinda unfair. It just seemed far too shoujo-y or something, and I didn't immedietly catch onin the beginning. Lol, about the Ranma 1/2 ending thing, though! It's completely true...

I usually tend to prefer shoujo mangas, hence better art and storyline, but now that I look at, my most favorite mangas ever are either shounen (Yuugiou, Black Cat, Death Note...), or *other* topics not to be discussed here, like yaoi manga.

[Kathy Li]

Originally posted by AlidaART:
kli--Well, I wouldn't blame you for being a Sandman fan, it was written by Neil Gaiman! How could one not love it? (though I have yet to read them, unfortunately, but I've read his novels, besides American Gods and Anasi (is that right?) Boys).

Close enough: it's Anansi Boys. (i.e., it's wordplay on the phrase "nancy boys"). Yes, I love Neil Gaiman's stuff. I've read a whole lot of it, given that I became his fan when Sandman started. Graphic novels, though, are expensive, and it's hard to read Sandman if you don't have a library to help with the load. It was easier for me, since it was only $1.50 a month, buying them as issues when they came out.

Classics Illustrated series? Oooh. Now that sounds like something I could get into.

Well, there's the old '50s Classics Illustrated comics which were a completely different beast, and then there was the First series.. Both are pretty fun, but very different in tone and execution, and both are probably relatively hard to get your hands on (sigh).

I mostly know CLAMP from anime, rather than their manga. I think the last one I got hooked on was Angelic Layer.

[AlidaART]

I usually tend to prefer shoujo mangas, hence better art and storyline

Now wait a moment. I'd have to disagree there. Lots of shonen titles have great art and storylines--they're just not flowery. That's what I love about Hot Gimmick, actually. It's not flowerly. There is no glossing over the fact that Ryoki is a sexist, chauvenist pig (at least at first), and Aihara never tries to do so. She tells it like it is, no frills. It's true, the storyline is pretty convoluted and sick, but you really have to just get through Volume One and then you'll never stop again until you finish

But anyways, take Immortal Rain for example. I really don't think you could classify it as shoujo, but it's definitely got great artwork and a frankly incredible plot. Also, how about Rorouni Kenshin? Yes, I know, like a lot of shonen, it drags on and on and on...but it's still a masterpiece of storytelling. The art varies, but you could never call it ugly.

RE Sandman--yeah, I've lusted after them at the bookstore, but they are pretty expensive. Ah, Neil Gaiman. Love him (Good Omens got me hooked on him; ah, that book is the greatest.)

Hm. I've never been such a huge CLAMP fan; they're okay, but nothing special. I think "unbearably cute" would be a good way to describe it.

[Space Cadet]

I like a bit of 'unbearabley cute' to balance out my shounen manga.
One week I will be reading Fruits Basket, the next Bleach, and after that something CLAMP, then something with samurai . . . then repeat!

You don't need to envy me that much Kaiba. I don't live anywhere near Tokyo. I live right up north away from everything that anyone in other countries has ever heard of. But there are a lot of beautiful mountains and lakes and seascapes and stuff here, so I don't actually mind as much as I sometimes say I do

[Fernanda]

I love CLAMP! But samurai X is the best

[Space Cadet]

If you like Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X), you should also try 'Samurai Deeper Kyo' or 'Samurai7' (anime only, there is no manga), or 'Samurai Champloo'.
Samurai Champloo is really funny. Although still not quite as funny as Kenshin going "Orororoooo!" I'll admit.

[AlidaART]

Samurai Champloo...I watched a few episodes and I though it might be a bit too hip for its own good, but still pretty funny. There was one I saw where Mugen had to deliver something in order to free Fei and Jin from captivity, and in the end everyone got high and they escaped. I was a little stunned, but thought it was pretty hilarious at the same time. And besides, these are the people who did Cowboy Bebop. It's gotta be good.

[Kathy Li]

Slash wrote:
This is so off topic but,
Have any one of you Wizards ever read or are reading the Manga Fruits Basket books? I know this is off topic but I was just wondering? and ... I am on the 4th book ^_^

[Resurrected the manga/comics thread and moved this here, since the last Fruits Basket discussion turned into a manga recommend freeforall. Sorry to lose your attribution, Slash! --kli.]